


Come Back Home

by girlunafraid23



Series: Our Theme Song [10]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Emotional, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Future Fic, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-12-07 20:52:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlunafraid23/pseuds/girlunafraid23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When Mickey got the call saying Ian was being honorably discharged after being injured in the line of duty, he felt like his entire world was crashing around him." </p>
<p>Mickey waits for Ian at the airport to come back after being injured and his mind brings back different flashbacks and his fears that Ian could be completely different. (For my anonymous of tumblr who requested it) (Sorry it took so long to update)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come Back Home

**Author's Note:**

> My Love by 3rd & Union

When Mickey got the call saying Ian was being honorably discharged after being injured in the line of duty, he felt like his entire world was crashing around him. He didn't know what exactly they meant by injured and that scared the shit out of him. If Ian came back without an arm, he knew that he wouldn't have any way to make things right. Mickey took revenge, physically and if something horrible happened to Ian and there was no way to get even, Mickey probably would never forgive himself even if it was Ian's idea to go play army.

The night before he was supposed to meet Ian at the airport, he didn't sleep at all. He attempted at first, but after the first hour of staring at the ceiling he figured he'd be better off cleaning out the apartment than letting himself imagine all the horrible possibilities. 

He stared at the clock for an hour the next morning before deciding it was okay for him to go to the airport. Mickey told himself he was being stupid, that Ian was going to be okay. Ian was tough, he wouldn't let himself lose a limb or something that drastic. But every time Mickey told himself to quit worrying, he'd only panic more.

Everyone in the airport seemed too happy. Mickey scowled at the three little kids who ran past him, laughing loudly and shoving each other as they passed. How could anyone be so fucking happy when he was over here worrying what Ian was going to be like now? Glancing at the people around him, he wondered if any of them had ever felt more anxious before than he did right now.

Mickey was shaking in his seat, watching the plane arrivals and waiting for Ian's to be called out. Each second that ticked by made him so nervous he thought he could easily throw up in front of all these people. Maybe he was gonna. 

In an attempt to calm himself down, Mickey started to think about the last time he saw Ian before he was deployed again. He remembered waking up next to him and how the light from the window shined against his pale skin. He counted his freckles, but always lost track at one point or another. His hair was buzzed off at that point and Mickey liked when his hair had that stupid little fringe that hung over his forehead. 

He could remember when Ian woke up and his eyes fluttered a few times before he looked over and saw Mickey watching him. He smiled, so gently and innocent that it made Mickey's heart stop. Ian was leaving that morning and Mickey still couldn't help but smile back at him. It was bitter-sweet, but then again, that described their entire relationship so far.

They didn't say anything at breakfast that morning. Mickey didn't know what he could have possibly said anyways that would have made anything okay. He hated Ian for leaving him, for letting him worry that he'd never come home after all this time Ian spent fighting for Mickey. He couldn't understand why Ian would willingly leave like this and that made Mickey crazy. He admitted that he loved Ian, he had stayed for Ian, so why couldn't Ian stay for him?

Saying goodbye was probably the hardest thing that Mickey had ever really done. It was worse than anything that they faced back in Chicago because Ian wanted this. Sometimes, Mickey thought he wanted to get away from him and he'd get so angry at the thought until Ian would turn around and smile at him for no reason or say something that only Mickey really understood. It took some getting used to, but Mickey realized that he loved the army and him, but he hated sharing Ian.

As Mickey sat in the airport, almost a year later from when they had said goodbye, he felt his stomach twist with anxiety. He looked over towards the departure gateway that they stood at awkwardly. Mickey thought back to the day, the way Ian shifted his weight back and forth, twisting his hands together the way he did when he was nervous. "Stop fucking fidgeting, Gallagher," Mickey said to him. 

Ian had stopped moving instantly, but still looked uncomfortable. Mickey could remember the way his eyes glanced down briefly at his lips before looking back at his eyes. "Jesus fuck, Firecrotch," Mickey had muttered at Ian, before pulling him down to kiss him quickly on the lips. It was barely a kiss at all but that didn't stop Ian from smiling at Mickey like it was everything he wanted. It probably was, knowing him. "If you get your ass shot off," Mickey had warned him, his sentence stopping there. 

He had watched Ian nod at his empty threat before he had to look away. He didn't want to get emotional here in front of all these strangers. "I love you," Ian had told him, quietly but dragging out each word so Mickey could absorb each syllable. He felt himself nod back at him, "Love you too."

Mickey shook his head at the flashbacks, his heart pounding in his chest as he continued to wait for Ian's return. He wondered what would be different about him this time. The first time he returned on a leave after his first deployment, he came back with a scar. It was barely noticeable really, but Mickey saw it right away. To anyone else, it was just a small line under Ian's left eye but to Mickey, it was proof that he had come home different.

"You have a scar," Mickey said the moment Ian had reached him, walking with the same stride, the same height, the same hair. But his eyes weren't how they used to be. They didn't dim the way Mickey had expected, they just had too much experience in them. His eyes were the same except they were proof he had seen too much and that bothered Mickey more than he would ever admit. 

Ian shrugged at him, barely affected by his comment. It seemed to catch Ian off guard when Mickey hugged him after a moment's pause, but he hugged back just as quickly. To people passing, he wondered if it was obvious they were lovers. But he didn't really care either. He wondered how he would react this time to seeing Ian.

Time ticked by too slowly for Mickey. It didn't matter what he did, he couldn't calm his nerves even if he tried. Ian was due back any time now and Mickey couldn't stop his heart from beating wildly. He felt his palms started to sweat and when the announcement over the intercom called his flight arrival, his stomach dropped to the floor.

It seemed to take forever for the doors to open and for people to start spilling out. Mickey stood in front of the gates anxiously, waiting to see the familiar red hair to come walking towards him. 

At first, he thought he had the wrong flight time or something because after the first initial burst of people, no one seemed to be coming out of the tunnel. He started to chew his lip anxiously, peering his head around the side to see if anyone was still coming. And then he heard a clicking noise that grew louder each time it sounded. He furrowed his brows in confusion, taking a step forward to see what was coming his way.

Then he saw Ian, walking towards him with a crutch under each arm and his knee wrapped up under his baggy shorts. Mickey felt all the air from his lungs rush out as he forgot how to breathe. Ian didn't seem to notice him at first, watching the floor as he came forward. "Gallagher, what the fuck did you do," Mickey finally said, making Ian's head snap up at his question.

"Hey Mick," Ian said, a tiny smile playing at his lips. Mickey studied his face, looking for any scars that weren't there before but didn't see anything different. His eyes drifted down towards his bandaged knee, watching each step Ian took towards him. 

Mickey scowled, suddenly feeling angry, "Didn't I tell you not to get fucking shot?" Ian shrugged the best he could with the crutches under his arms and was finally standing directly in front of Mickey. A flight attendant ushered them to keep moving so she could shut the door behind them. "They told me you got injured, but not how. You gonna tell me how or what," Mickey demanded at him, still uneasy and anxious even at the sight of Ian in one piece.

Ian sighed, but nodded anyways, "Bullet to the knee. It's not so bad. I have to get physical therapy here, it's not going to be the same as it used to be, that's for sure. They told me it could take months for it to be working properly again but that it will, like that's going to make me fucking feel better." Mickey could hear how bitter he sounded as he told him about his injury. 

He felt himself nod at Ian, his anger dissolving now, "They said you pushed some kid out of the line of fire. You're some hero now." Ian averted his gaze from Mickey, looking almost ashamed and Mickey thought heroes were supposed to be proud of what they had done. He watched Ian adjust his crutches and looking at him now he realized how relieved he felt to have him back, hurt or not. "I missed you, ya know. You don't have to be so fucking excited to see me," Mickey said, sarcastically but with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The redhead turned to look at him and although his eyes seemed to be a little harder than when he left, he still smiled. "Talk like that and I'll kiss you in front of all these people," Ian teased him. Only Ian could come home injured from war and still grin at Mickey like nothing had changed.

"Fuck you," Mickey laughed, but pulled the kid in for a kiss anyways. Ian's lips were still as soft as ever and even though the kiss barely lasted long enough to satisfy either of them, Mickey felt his heart swell at the fact that he was back. When he pulled away from he, Mickey smirked at Ian and punched Ian in the chest, "Asshole."

Ian smiled at him like he had just won the lottery, while he rubbed the spot that Mickey punched. "Come on, let's get your bag and go home." At the word home, Ian's face seemed to brighten and that shit-eating grin that made Mickey want to fuck him or kiss him or something, appeared on his face. 

Mickey could remember every moment he spent with Ian Gallagher, when they weren't too drunk or too high to remember. He remember every promise he broke with himself in order to keep the redhead around and he could remember every moment that Ian made it worth it. And maybe things would be different now. He knew physical therapy was going to be frustrating because Ian was stubborn and hard-headed and hated asking for help and Mickey was protective of him and just as stubborn, but the more he thought about it, the less he cared. Ian was home and home was okay with Mickey.


End file.
